Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has instructed his National Security Council to proceed with the construction of a 1.5-billion-dollar oil rig, with the cooperation of the Turkish Petroleum Co., according to the mass daily Sabah.

“Turkey will have its own oil rig one way or another, either by building it or by buying it,” the Turkish president reportedly said.

According to Sabah, Erdogan outlined before the Turkish National Security Council the steps the country must take in order “to protect its interests in the Eastern Mediterranean” and warned that Turkey will do whatever it takes to protect its rights.

With regard to the survey vessel “Barbaros”, the ship that repeatedly violated the Cypriot EEZ in 2014, Erdogan stated the following: “We have already achieved a great deal with our research vessel. Now it’s time to move on to the next step, and build a drilling platform.”